You Must Know How to Hang a Hammock
Now that summer is almost here, it’s time to enjoy the great outdoors. Instead of relaxing inside on the couch, you can relax outside while slowly rocking in a hammock. But if you’ve never set up a hammock before, you might find the process a bit intimidating, which is understandable considering it’s basically a net or piece of fabric that has to support the weight of an adult.
Luckily, when you buy a new hammock, it usually comes with a detailed set of instructions written for hammock beginners. While you should definitely follow these guidelines, here are some general tips to make the process as quick and easy as possible.
Find the right place
If you’re planning on hanging a hammock from trees in your yard, you can’t just grab two semi-close ones and start hanging. Ideally, you want a stem-to-stem distance of 13 to 16 feet.
And make sure the trees are strong, mature, and healthy enough to support the hammock and the person in it without bending over. In other words, avoid young trees or those that may be diseased or rotting.
If the trees are not suitable and you use metal poles or wooden poles, the same rules apply regarding spacing and strength.
do the math
For something that should be relaxing, hammocks – or at least hanging them properly – can require a bit of homework. There are several factors to consider when setting up a hammock, including the length of the hammock, the hanging angle, and how high off the ground you want the hammock to hang.
Luckily, there are handy hammock calculators like this one that will do all the work for you – all you have to do is enter the numbers.
Fasten your hammock
When it comes to attaching a hammock to trees, poles, or poles, you have several options:
Hardware
Be aware that since you will be drilling into the trees to attach the equipment, this method may damage the trees. But if that’s the best option for your setup, you can buy a hammock hanging kit with everything you need.
Otherwise, screw strong eyebolts into each tree , and then attach a short chain to each eyebolt with an S-hook that connects to the hardware at the end of the hammock.
Wooden straps
This is probably the easiest way to hang a hammock, plus they are removable and won’t damage the tree. There is a metal ring on one side of the wooden strap, and a fabric loop on the other. Simply wrap the fabric piece around the tree trunk , then thread the end with the ring through the loop, aligning it with the ring at the end of the hammock. Connect the hammock with the S-hook, then adjust the straps to get your desired height.
Chain or rope
Another non-drilling option is to wrap a chain or strong rope tightly around each tree at least twice. Then either secure the chain with an S-hook, or tie the rope into a hammock knot to attach it to the trees.